Planaria! help please

[kirkland795]

So I noticed little white wiggling worms in my tank and looked it up to find I have planaria. I have two discus in the tank who are just getting over a treatment for ich brought into the tank by a pleco who has now been placed in quarantine. The ich seems to have cleared using a method of raising and dropping the temperature every few days for two weeks. My discus are happy and healthy and actually just laid eggs. I've never dealt with planaria so I was wanting some advice on how to get rid of it and prevent it again. I have a bare bottom tank. I have a 60 gallon tank and do a 40% water change 3-4 times a week. I do feed often as the discus are still growing but I always vacuum up the excess. My tank is fully cycled with ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate 5. Water temp is currently 86. I recently added several more bubblers to oxygenate the water. Could this have helped the planaria flourish? Additionally I have drift wood that grows a good layer of algae all over it. Could that cause planaria? Any advice is appreciated! Thanx!

 

[bud29]

Here is a good article about planaria eradication:

Guide to Planaria and Hydra Elimination - Aquarium Advice

 

[Fishfur]

Planaria are not a disaster, though in numbers they are unsightly. They may have come in the water with the plec. In a bare tank, with so little food they are unlikely to last long, so you may not have to treat for them. Some patience may be all you need. Since you vacuum often, you can suck them out as well. They are not going to harm anything in a tank like yours.

 

[Fresh2o]

I'm not so sure they are planaria. From what I've observed, planaria do not normally wiggle. They are more grayish or tan colored and flat. And when they move, they glide across surfaces. I've seen then in my planted tank and shrimp tank. Sometimes I see several of them and for weeks or more at a time the disappear (or go into hiding).
You might have detritus worms. Harmless substrate scavengers.
The only time I've seen planaria wiggle is when I hit them with a shot of excel or Glutaraldehyde (carbon source for the plants and an algaecide). They convulse and die.

 

[Fishfur]

Good point. Planaria are usually slightly pinkish, flat and glide smoothly, not wriggly. If they are detritus worms, they won't fare much better in a tank as described than Planaria would, given little food and no substrate.

 

[kirkland795]

It does seem to be detritus worms based on your descriptions. I have removed all decor and have been doing good water changes and vacuuming. Hopefully it will clear up soon. Darn pleco brought ick and worms into my tank which is a huge problem with such expensive and fragile fish like discus. Lesson learned I will def quarantine all new fish.